The NBA Finals are about to start. Needless to say, that means that there are a whole lot of props available for sports bettors to invest in. Oddsmakers are getting increasingly creative, so you can bet on pretty much any aspect of the series. With so much available, there inevitably are at least a few that are more than a little interesting. Here’s a look at a handful of the props that stand out in my eyes as being worth a closer look. For simplicity I’ll take all of these props from Bodog, but most online books are offering a wide range of their own:
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Month: June 2010
The 2010 NBA Finals are about to get underway. It’s not the Kobe – LeBron matchup that virtually everyone in the world outside of Boston wanted to see, but a rematch of the classic 2008 finals is a pretty good consolation prize. With a long break between games for both teams leading into this series the media has been forced to fill a lot of pages without a game to write about. Not surprisingly, a lot of what they have focused on isn’t likely to be a massive factor in the series, and serves only as a distraction for serious bettors. Here are five of the more overhyped storylines that the media is focusing too much time and ink on:
Colorado and San Francisco play the final game of a three-game series on Wednesday night, with the home team looking to avoid being swept for just the second time at AT&T Park.
Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants
With most NFL teams in the thick of their OTAs, it is time to take a look at the five best off-seasons so far. The uncapped year has provided the teams with a chance to invest more and the number of trades has gone up compared to other offseasons.
Continue reading “The Five NFL Teams With the Best Offseasons”
One thing we know for sure is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have a new coach. Mike Brown was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2009, but his failure to beat the Celtics in the playoffs this year when his team was expected to win it all was the final straw. The Cavs are obviously a desperate franchise. With the uncertainty around where LeBron James is going to play next year the team can’t afford to look like it isn’t taking steps to improve, and Brown just wasn’t getting it done when it matters. There are several NBA teams looking for coaches right now, and at least one more that still could be in the coming weeks. What makes Cleveland’s job so intriguing, though, is what the team could look like next year. If James re-signs then the new coach would be taking over one of the two best players in the NBA, and would have a realistic look at multiple titles. If James leaves, though, then Cleveland is just another job in a smaller market. The job is either the best there is or it’s nothing – there is no middle ground.
Arizona is currently 0-7 on a three-city, nine-game road trip against Colorado, San Francisco and Los Angeles. This recent stretch leaves the team with a less than desirable 7-17 mark against the division (-1,000). The team has compiled a 6-11 mark when playing a series finale so far in 2010, including dropping the last four such games on the road (-408). The Diamondbacks’ 20-32 record (-1,180) is the third-worst 52-game start in club history behind the inaugural 1998 season and the beginning of the 2004 season. Don’t expect things to change with Wednesday’s starting time, with Arizona coming in with a 5-11 daytime record (-600). One offensive bright spot for the team is the right-side of the infield, as 1B Adam LaRoche and 2B Kelly Johnson have combined for 19 home runs and 58 RBI this season.
For most sports bettors this is the time of year when things are at their slowest. Football is a distant memory, and won’t be back again for a long while. Basketball and hockey are winding down. Baseball is chugging along, but the relentless pace of that sport is more than some bettors want to deal with. Summer is a great time for bettors to relax, sit in the sun and drink some beer, and get ready for a long, hard fall and winter. It’s also a good time to get ready for next season by working to become a sports bettor. There are a lot of really terrible books about sports betting out there, but there are a few that are really great. When you’re sitting on the beach soaking up some rays this summer, pick up one of these classics is you haven’t read them already. You’re certain to learn something – I do every time I read through them again.
Continue reading “The Best Sports Betting Books For Handicappers”
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